Earl Haas
After spending his last 17 months in “God’s Waiting Room”, aka Good Samaritan Society in Waukon, Earl Francis Haas entered Heaven and was welcomed into the loving arms of Jesus September 9, 2022. It was his 87th birthday.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, September 13 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon with Pastor Bryan Robertson officiating. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery, Waukon.
The family asks that, in lieu of flowers and gifts, memorials be directed to St. John’s Lutheran Church, Good Samaritan Society in Waukon, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the ALS Foundation.
Earl Francis Haas was born in the Lycurgus township near Waukon September 9, 1935 to Viola (Knickerbocker) and Leo Haas. He and his seven siblings learned to work hard growing up on the family farm. He attended the two-room Lycurgus school and, after taking one year off to work, graduated from Waukon High School in 1955. He left home with $5 in his pocket to start his adult life.
Earl began working in the meat department at Quandahl’s Food Ranch, where he worked and eventually managed the department for over 60 years. He was a people person and truly enjoyed being around the customers, especially the pretty, new schoolteacher that came to town. December 26, 1956, he married that pretty schoolteacher, Beverly Scheffert, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua.
Shortly before his marriage, Earl was able to purchase his first motorcycle, a Harley Davidson. This was the first of many motorcycles over the years, each carefully cared for under his watchful eye. While Earl particularly enjoyed Harley Davidson cycles, he also rode BMWs and even owned one of a handful of special-order Indian motorcycles.
In the early years of their marriage, he and Bev enjoyed touring around the United States and Canada. He spent countless hours riding his bike on day trips, sometimes with his son or daughter on the back. Earl earned a 200,000-mile award and a 300,000-mile award from BMW, and won the award for most miles ridden in a year from the Harley Davidson shop in Black River Falls, WI.
Earl was also an avid collector and attended numerous flea markets and shows looking for hidden gems. He and Bev also built two beautiful homes over the years, both designed by them.
Earl is survived by Beverly, his wife of over 65 years, of Waukon; his daughter, Shari (Charles) Peterson of La Crosse, WI; and his daughter-in-law, Pam Haas of Caledonia, MN. He also leaves behind six grandchildren: Zebediah (Mora) Peterson of Boquete, Panama, Katrina (Ian) Clarke of Tinley Park, IL, Jacob Peterson and Natalie Peterson of La Crosse, WI, and Cartrite and Callahan Haas of Caledonia, MN. One of the highlights of his last year was holding his great-grandson, Aziel Peterson, son of Zeb and Mora Peterson. He is also survived by three sisters, Rose Kessel, Edith Bloxham and Elaine Doyle, and two brothers, Doug Haas and Floyd Mount.
Earl was preceded in death by his parents and his son, Kevin Haas, who passed away from complications of ALS in 2019. We are certain that it was a precious reunion in Heaven for the two of them. Also preceding him in death were his sister, Violet Kingsbury; his brother, Charles Haas; two sisters-in-law, Janice Scheffert and Joyce Haas; two brothers-in-law, Carl Kessel and Richard Bloxham; and two nephews, Jeffrey Houg and Steven Scheffert.
Earl enjoyed visiting with people and especially enjoyed the many wonderful nurses and aides who cared for him at the Good Samaritan Society. They became like a family to him and Bev and brightened the days spent there.
Honorary casketbearers were Ozzie Quandahl, Dean Gress, Dave Sanderson, Les Winters, Jim and Jerry Baxter, and Greg Gordon. Casketbearers were Earl’s nephews, Scott and Wade Houg, Mike Sheffert, and Rick, Brad, Tom and Craig Bloxham.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
